Helmut Zapf

  • Born 1956 in Rauschengesees, Germany
  • 1974-1979 church music studies in Eisenach and Halle
  • 1989-1982 cantor and organist in Eisenberg
  • 1982-1986 master scholar in composition at Academy of the Arts of the GDR with Prof. Georg Katzer
  • Active as freelance composer
  • Awarded various scholarships: work scholarship from Cité des Arts Paris 1997, Konrad Adenauer Foundation scholarship 1998, occupational visit at Künstlerhof Schreyahn Lower Saxony 2000, Composer in Residence at Time of Music Festival in Finland 2003, Academy of the Arts Berlin/Brandenburg scholarship for Villa Serpentara in Olevano Romano 2005, Casa Baldi in Olevano Romano scholarship 2008, Künstlerhaus Lukas scholarship in Ahrenship 2009, Composer in Residence at Daego Contemporary Music Festival in South Korea and work scholarship at the Institute for Computer and Sound Technology in Zurich 2011
  • Awarded the Hanns Eisler Prize of the GDR 1987, Valentino Bucchi Prize in Rome 1987, Kunstförderpreis of Berlin Academy of the Arts 1992 and 1st prize at the International Composition Competition of the Sparkasse Cultural Foundation Hessen-Thüringen 2004
  • Guest Lecturer at the Russian/German Window of Contemporary Music Festival in Moscow and Perm 2009
  • Member of the Akademie der Künste Berlin since 2015
  • Since 1987, teacher for theory and ear training at Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, since 1990, teacher at Berlin music schools in Kreuzberg and Neukölln for preparatory studies in composition, theory and ear training
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